FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2007

DARK HORSE COMICS FOR FEBRUARY

ABE SAPIEN: THE DROWNING #1

Written by Mike Mignola, art by Jason Shawn Alexander, colored by Dave Stewart, cover by Mignola.

A century ago, paranormal investigator Edward Grey fought and destroyed a powerful warlock off the island of Saint Sebastian. In the early 1980s, the B.P.R.D.'s newest agent was sent to retrieve the warlock's remains. But Abe Sapien is ill prepared for the supernatural forces that block his way. Abe Sapien: The Drowning's the story of Hellboy and B.P.R.D. mainstay Abe Sapien's first solo adventure.

32 pages, $2.99, in stores on Feb. 6.

BLOOD+ VOLUME 2: CHEVALIER

Written by Ryo Ikehata, art by Chizu Hashii.

Following the traces of Diva, the leader of the Chiroptera, Saya and her group make their way to Russia. But awaiting their arrival is Diva's powerful protector Chiroptera, "The Chevalier." In the middle of the battle against this new threat, Saya is told a horrible truth -- "It is because you are one of us." Is Saya a human, or something more sinister...? Featuring sixteen pages of illustrations by series character designer Chizu Hashii.

256 pages $8.95, in stores on April 13.

B.P.R.D.: 1946 #2

Written by Mike Mignola and Joshua Dysart, art by Paul Azaceta, colored by Nick Filardi, cover by Mignola.

The first case of the fledgling Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense -- a post-WWII investigation into the Nazis' occult research -- turns deadly for U.S. forces as Professor Bruttenholm probes deeper into Project Vampir Sturm. With lives at stake, Bruttenholm enters an uneasy alliance with the leader of the Russian occult team‹uncovering a secret as terrible as any plot of the Third Reich.

32 pages, $2.99, in stores on Feb. 13.

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #11

Written by Joss Whedon, penciled by Georges Jeanty, inked by Andy Owens, colored by Michelle Madson, covers by Jeanty and Jon Foster.

An ill-prepared Buffy comes face to face with the new Big Bad in the form of an old- fahioned death match in this standalone issue titled A Beautiful Sunset. Buffy Season Eight continues to entertain longtime Buffy fans and newcomers alike with Joss Whedon at the helm and Georges Jeanty serving as series artist.

40 pages, $2.99, in stores on Feb. 6.

CHICKENHARE VOLUME 2: FIRE IN THE HOLE

Written and art by Chris Grine.

Things are going from bad to worse for our feathered and furry friend Chickenhare and his partner in hijinks Abe! Their narrow escape from the evil taxidermist Klaus is going to seem like a cakewalk compared to the dangers they'll face in the sequel to the Eisner- nominated graphic novel, Chickenhare: The House of Klaus.

Magic and mayhem are about to collide, along with some pointy pitchforks, a few unexpected relatives, and more laughs than a barrel full of wet shromph as the Chickenhare and Abe learn the origins of their mysterious fellow escapees Meg and Banjo -- and what this means to our friends is nothing but trouble!

200 pages, black and white, $10.95, in stores on April 9.

CLASSIC COMIC BOOK CHARACTER #12: THE ROCKETEER

The year is 1938, and in the midst of a crime wave a hero soars into the stratosphere propelled by a high-powered backpack, armed with his wits, guts, and a deadly mauser pistol. Cliff Secord, take a bow!

Modeled after products that were popular in the 1930s and 1940s, this character surely fits the line. These new statuettes being produced by Dark Horse are designed and manufactured in a deliberately rough-hewn style. Produced in a limited edition of only five hundred hand-numbered copies, it is fully painted and ready to display.

5 inches, each comes hand-numbered, includes a booklet and vintage-style pin, limited to 500, $49.95.

THE COMPLETE GREEN LAMA FEATURING THE ART OF MAC RABOY

Chanting "Om Mani Padme Hum," the wealthy Jethro Dumont transformed into the Green Lama -- a flying freedom fighter made famous in comics by artist Mac Raboy (Captain Marvel Jr., Flash Gordon). A unique 1940s Buddhist superhero, the Green Lama used special powers gained in a pilgrimage to Tibet to fight master criminals, monstrous dictators, and inequality across the globe. He made his debut in April 1940 in the pulp fiction anthology Double Detective, but he is most well known in his comic book incarnation -- especially the stories drawn by Raboy in the eight-issue Green Lama series. Dark Horse Archives presents the entire Green Lama run in two high-quality hardcovers, starting with these first four issues. In addition to Raboy's classic covers and stories, these issues contain entertaining and adventurous bonus stories following the adventures of Lieutenant Hercules, Rick Masters, Angus McErc, and others!

208 pages, $49.95, in stores on April 30.

CONAN #49

Written by Timothy Truman, penciled and cover by Tomas Giorello, colors by J.D. Mettler.

In this penultimate chapter of the adaptation of the Robert E. Howard fragment "The Hand of Nergal" Conan must fight for his very life against a foe unlike any other. But how do you kill an enemy that's already dead? The only hope for Conan and his comrades is to destroy the gateway to the demonic underworld and stop the spawn of the evil god Nergal before it's too late!

40 pages, $2.99, in stores on Feb. 20.

CRIMINAL MACABRE: MY DEMON BABY

Written by Steve Niles, art by Nick Stakal, cover by Tim Bradstreet.

To say that Cal's been through hell and back would be a misstatement. He's been to hell, all right, and he seems to be stuck there for good. When we last checked in on Cal, he and Mo'Lock had just witnessed the vile, horrifying transformation of Cal's lovely ex, Sabrina Lynch, into a minion of the vampire Nosferatu. After that Cal disappeared for a bit, and at the start of our new series, Mo'Lock finds him just in time to lure him off the filthy couch in an abandoned house with an offer he can't refuse -- either he gets up and takes a new case, or Mo'Lock will kill him before the drugs can. And what a case it is. Devil worshippers in sunny SoCal are doing their best to bring Satan into the world, and by the looks of things, Cal's already too late. What does one feed a bouncing baby Beelzebub, anyway? Collecting the four-issue miniseries.

Emily has often been a lone voice of sanity in a completely wacky and confusing world, but this time, she seeks and finds the true nature of solitude. With or without her posse of clever black cats, strange spirits, and hip and unexpected guest stars, Emily's got what it takes to truly go it alone.

32 pages, black and white, $3.50, in stores on Feb. 27.

THE END LEAGUE #2

Written by Rick Remender, penciled and cover by Mat Broome, inked by Sean Parsons, colored by Wendy Broome.

Lobotomized and insane with rage, Thor returns from the dead with one goal -- the annihilation of his former teammates. The fate of the world once again rests on the shoulders of The Miraculous Astonishman, the only man living with the power to stop a God of Thunder gone mad. Meanwhile, the mysterious man known only as Black uncovers the truth behind mastermind Dead Lexington's renewed interest in the demise of the last remaining heroes on Earth.

32 pages, $2.99, in stores on Feb. 27.

EVIL DEAD #2

Written by Mark Verheiden, art by John Bolton.

"Cheryl was floating in mid-air, growling like a '68 Mustang, muttering something about her ancient slumber . . . "

Relive the blood-soaked experience of the classic horror film The Evil Dead -- from Ash's point of view and with extra scenes! Verheiden scripts this expansion on Sam Raimi's first full-length feature film, putting us right inside Ash's brash mind and giving Evil Dead fans Raimi-approved dialogue and scenes that didn't appear in the original gore-fest. Verheiden writes, "With permission from Sam Raimi and Rob Tapert, we've expanded the movie, meeting our characters back in their pre-deadite lives and opening up the story to see what happened between the events seen on screen."

32 pages, $2.99, in stores on Feb. 13.

FAVOLE PORTFOLIO #2

The dark images of Victoria Francés emerge as if secret thoughts . . . and these pictures resonate with an ever-growing following of admirers. Dark Horse was taken with the strange, beautiful, and somewhat dangerous images that pervade Francés' work, and was delighted to discover that a handsome new oversized collection of unseen images is ready for publication.

Written by Rick Remender, art by Jerome Opena, colored by Michelle Madsen.

"Hatchet Job," part 4 of 5. Abandoned in deep space, near death, and with no hope of rescue, Heath learns the cost of crossing the nefarious pirates of the Centurion Nebula. Back on the moon base, a mysterious figure from Heath's past arrives as a harbinger of more hard days for humanity.

32 pages, $2.99, in stores on Feb. 27.

GLENN BARR'S JANES FIGURE: TIKA

Sculpted by Steve Kiwus, painted by Kat Sapene, with participation from Glenn Barr.

In the past ten years, an exciting new world of limited-edition "designer toys" has exploded worldwide. Tracing its roots to the Hong Kong toy scene in the late 1990s, this phenomenon refers to unique figures, produced in very limited editions, that are three-dimensional works inspired by contemporary artists. One of the best of these artists is Glenn Barr.

A primary theme in Glenn's work is his "Janes" series, which are stylized young women in retro-looking space ships. We have gone to great lengths to reproduce these in 3D, and are proud to announce the result -- four different pieces, our first offering is Tika. Tika's fiery red hair, green eyes, and deep red lips speak of anarchy and confusion.

The manufacturing process involved includes roto-cast vinyl, injected plastic, and "blow-molding", making these figures some of the most ambitious produced to date.

Tika: Muse of Destruction,
approximately 6" tall x 5" wide, limited to 500 pieces, $150, in stores on May 14.

GLOOMY BEAR T-SHIRTS

Gloomy Bear creator, Mori Chack, is designing two new T-shirts for Dark Horse! More Gloomy, more Pity, and more blood! These high-quality super-soft T-shirts will be a prized possession for any Gloomy fan. Both designs come in women's and men's styles. Our last round of Gloomy Bear T-shirts flew off the rack, so get yours while you can!

Women's M-XL and Men's M-XXL, $29.99, in stores on Feb. 13.

GRENDEL: BEHOLD THE DEVIL #4

Written and art by Matt Wagner.

The Korean mob move against Grendel's criminal empire in this explosive new chapter in the life of Hunter Rose. A presence is haunting Hunter Rose -- ubiquitous, ethereal, maddening. As Grendel becomes increasingly obsessed with his unseen pursuer, his grip on the New York underworld loosens. For the man who assassinates his victims with the same precision that he writes his bestselling novels, this ignorance and weakness is unacceptable. He will uncover what hunts him, and he will show his rivals that the city is his alone!

24 pages, black, white and red, $3.50, in stores on Feb. 20.

GRENDEL: DEVIL CHILD

Written by Diana Schutz, art by Tim Sale, covers by Sale and Matt Wagner.

Joining the Grendel Archives and Grendel: Devil by the Deed as part of Dark Horse's new library of Grendel hardcovers, Grendel: Devil Child features artist Sale as he teams with colorist Teddy Kristiansen and Grendel editor-turned-writer Schutz to tell the story of Stacy Palumbo, adopted daughter of Hunter Rose, and the tragic role she played in passing his legacy onto her daughter Christine Spar -- the legacy of Grendel!

Since Mike Mignola's Hellboy first hit the stands in 1993, it has become a cultural sensation, racking up a dozen Eisner Awards and inspiring numerous spinoffs, from a novel line, to video games, to feature films. Now, Dark Horse is pleased to present the comics that started it all, collected in deluxe hardcover editions. Sized at a generous 9" x 12", and handsomely bound to match The Art of Hellboy, each volume contains two complete story-arcs -- the equivalent of two full trade-paperbacks. Each volume of the Hellboy Library Edition also includes extensive supplemental materials, including previously unreleased sketches and designs.

Hellboy Volume 1 collects the first two story-arcs -- Seed of Destruction and Wake the Devil -- with the original introductions by Robert Bloch and Alan Moore. Include expanded Mignola sketchbook sections.

288 pages, $49.95, in stores on April 9.

LIVING WITH THE DEAD

Written by Mike Richardson, art by Ben Stenbeck, cover by Richard Corben.

Two survivors of a global catastrophe disguise themselves as corpses to survive in a land of the walking dead. Soon the two friends save a lovely young gun-crazy woman named Betty, who becomes a source of rivalry between them. With hundreds of zombies out for a snack, the three try their best to blend in so as not become the next item on the menu.

From the mind of Mike Richardson, creator of The Mask and The Secret, comes this hilariously frightening tale of Straw and Whip who have lived through a plague that's left the world with seven billion brain-hungry zombies.

Collecting the three-issue mini-series.

OH MY GODDESS! VOLUME 29

Written and art by Kosuke Fujishima.

When Belldandy races Stringfellow against Hild's, er, broom, to win the secret of curing Velsper's magical mange, she learns it's really such a simple matter -- so simple, only her sister goddesses Urd and Skuld could possibly mess it up! Thoughts on the power of names run alongside the chase through the streets and alleyways of town in this volume of Oh My Goddess!

160 pages, black and white, $10.95, in stores on April 16.

REELART STUDIOS: THE SPIDER STATUE

Pulpdom's The Spider is the most violent vigilante crime fighter of all time and he's back and bigger than ever in 2008! Licensed by Argosy Communications, Inc., sculptor William Paquet has designed and sculpted a stunning rendition capturing the very essence of The Master of Men. The sculpt includes two interchangeable heads; one of crime fighter Richard Wentworth and one of his alter ego, The Spider. Produced by ReelArt Studios.

10" tall, packaged in full color box with certificate of authenticity, $150, in stores on April 30.

REX MUNDI #10

Written by Arvid Nelson, art by Juan Ferreyra.

Following a narrow escape from death, Julien finds himself in a tiny hamlet in the remote part of the Pyrenees mountains. He doesn't realize it, but he's closer than he's ever been to his goal of finding the Holy Grail!

Meanwhile, Julien himself is being sought by none other than the Duke of Lorraine's banished daughter, Isabelle! Isabelle is a powerful sorceress with nothing left to lose, a free agent, her motives unclear. Isabelle follows Julien's tracks to Rennes-le-Chateau, where a deadly nighttime encounter yields a tantalizing clue about the truth of her family history.

And the Duke of Lorraine's fortunes continue to rise, to the point where he can openly defy the Church. But as his power grows, his grip on sanity weakens...

32 pages, $2.99, in stores on Feb. 20.

THE SCREAM #4

Written by Peter David, penciled and cover by Bart Sears, inked by Randy Elliott, colored by Michelle Madsen.

Intrepid reporter Sian Ferguson has tracked down Danny, but landed a trip to the emergency room in the process. The pair, freshly escaped from the hospital after a close encounter with a Belle Foux operative, now set out to find Antoine Payne. Known as "The Trashman," Payne was the former employer of Danny's crush, Celeste Crane, who herself was formerly alive and well. And if the human head in his mail was any indication, this intimidating businessman is in a dirty, dirty line of work.

32 pages, $2.99, in stores on Feb. 20.

STAR WARS: EPISODE VI -- RETURN OF THE JEDI PHOTO COMIC

High above the forest moon of Endor, the Empire is building another Death Star. If the Rebel Alliance hopes to bring its vision of peace to the galaxy, Emperor Palpatine and his unflinching enforcer Darth Vader must be stopped!

Experience the climax of one of the most beloved sagas in history as Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Han Solo, and all the rest reach their ultimate destinies in this photo comic that fits perfectly into your pocket! This manga-sized volume adapts Star Wars: Return of the Jedi into a comic made up entirely of images from the film!

96 pages, $9.95, in stores on April 16.

STAR WARS: THE FORCE UNLEASHED

Written by Haden Blackman, art by Brian Ching and David Ross.

LucasArts' game The Force Unleashed, is poised to be the Star Wars event of the year. Revealed here are the origins of Darth Vader's secret apprentice, the deadly missions on which he was sent to track down and destroy Jedi, and the awesome decision he is forced to make that will, literally, change the way you look at the Star Wars saga! Scripted by the game's author, Haden Blackman, this graphic novel can be enjoyed alone, or as a companion to the game.

104 pages, $17.95, in stores on April 2.

STAR WARS: KNIGHTS OF THE OLD REPUBLIC #26

Written by John Jackson Miller, penciled by Scott Hepburn, colored by Michael Atiyeh, cover by Dustin Weaver.

"Vector," part 2. The second part of the biggest Star Wars story of 2008 begins with Mandalorians galore and ends with the arrival of a seemingly unstoppable threat! Fugitive Padawan Zayne Carrick and his con-artist companion Gryph have fallen into a situation even more dangerous than the one they escaped on wartorn Taris -- surrounded by enemies and trapped in close-quarters with a deadly agent of the group who framed Zayne for killing his fellow Jedi-in-training!

40 pages, $2.99, in stores on Feb. 27.

STAR WARS LEGACY #21

Written by John Ostrander, penciled by Omar Francia, colored by Brad Anderson, cover by Doug Wheatley.

The conclusion of a shocking two-part tale pitting the Sith Empire against the Galactic Alliance in an all-out space battle! The Sith have lured outlaw Admiral Gar Stazi into a trap to destroy the Alliance once and for all. Yet Stazi is no fool -- he may have agreed to play the Sith's game, but not with the cards they expect! Meanwhile, forces loyal to the deposed Emperor Roan Fel wait on the sidelines. Are they here to help, to hurt, or simply make off with whatever's left when the dust settles?

40 pages, $2.99, in stores on Feb. 20.

STAR WARS: TALES OF THE JEDI OMNIBUS VOLUME 2

Written by Tom Veitch and Kevin J. Anderson, art by various.

Learn the fate of the ancient Jedi Order's most legendary heroes in this huge collection! In a time when Jedi were numerous and the Sith Empire but a bitter memory, an ancient evil rose again, corrupting one of the Jedi's finest and igniting a war that ravaged worlds. The Sith were reborn, ties of friendship and family were betrayed, and the lives of Jedi Nomi Sunrider and Ulic Qel-Droma were changed forever.

This gargantuan omnibus completes the epic Tales of the Jedi saga with "The Freedon Nadd Uprising," "Dark Lords of the Sith," "The Sith War," and "Redemption."

464 pages, $24.95, in stores on April 9.

THE TERMINATOR OMNIBUS VOLUME 1

Written by John Arcudi, James Robinson and Ian Edginton, art by Chris Warner, Matt Wagner, Paul Gulacy, Vince Giarrano and others, cover by Gulacy.

They came from another time to ensure that the future would belong solely to the machines. They are Terminators -- indestructible killing engines hiding inside shells of flesh and blood. Tireless, fearless, merciless, unencumbered by human emotion, dedicated to the complete eradication of mankind. But despite the frailty of human flesh, nothing is as immortal as the human spirit, and even the strongest metal will bend by the will of a mother fighting for the future of her children.